Fence-stay.



"noisamse. PATENTED NOV.. 13, 1906.

\ w. J. LA GRANGE.

FENCE STAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1905.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, :1. c.

WILLIAM J. LA GRANGE, OF RENSSELAER, NEW YORK.

FENCE-STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed November 1, 1905. Serial No. 285,501-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LA GRANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rensselaer, in the county of Rensselaer, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence- Stays; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lock-plates for fence-stays.

' One object is to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, durable, and efficient lock-plate adapted to connect line-wires and stay-wires together.

Another object resides in the provision of a peculiarly-formed lock-plate provided with means for engagement with stay and line wires at 'their point of intersection to bind them against displacement with respect one to the other.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyin drawings, and particularly pointed out in t e appended claim, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a fence-stay and a strand-wire with the lock in place. Fig. 2 is a detail View of the l0ckplate.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a strand-wire 3, to which is to be locked a stay-wire in the shape of a hair-pin and comprising spaced legs 1 and 2, having the connecting bight portion 4.

The look, by means of which the stay is fastened to the strand-wire, consists of a metal plate 5, which is provided at its ends with pairs-of spaced ears 7, which are separated by slots 6. The plate 5 is bent longitudinally into arc shape, the are springing in the direction of that side of the plate to which the ears are bent in the formation of tubular sections, as illustrated. In the use of the lock it is disposed with its convex face against the strand-Wire 3, with the strandwire lying in the slots 6 between the pairs of ears. The stay-wireis then disposed against the opposite side of the strand-wire, and the ears at opposite ends of the plate are then bent toward each other into tubular form around the corresponding legs of the hairpin. This operation causes the hair-pin to draw the strand-wire back against the end portions of the plate 5 at the inner ends of the slot 6, so that the strand-wire is given a curvature corresponding to the convex face of the plate, and thus prevents sliding of the stay along the strand-wire. The friction be tween the parts prevents the stay-wire from moving vertically with respect to both the lock-plate and the strand-wire. The application ofthe lock-plate is effected by means of a suitable tool,

I am aware that it is old to fasten staywires to strand-wires by means of lock-plates similar to that shown by me, but having no longitudinal curvature. In the present structure, however, the plate is longitudinally curved, which results in the formation of a gradual bend in the strand-wire as distinguished from a kink, thus preventing the stay-wire from sliding along the strand-Wire and at the same time providing against cracking of the galvanization of the strandwire.

What is claimed is In a wire fence, the combination with a strand-Wire, of a stay comprising spaced members disposed against one side of the strand-wire and a lock consisting of a metal plate having a pair of spaced fingers at each end, a portion of the plate between the end fingers being disposed against the opposite side of the strand-wire from the stay and the fingers at each end being bent around the corresponding stay members, respectively, above and below the strand-wire, the plate between the end fingers and the portion of the strand-wire contacting therewith being bent in the direction of the stay with said portion of the strand-wire out of line with the portions at both sides of the stay.

, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LA GRANGE. Witnesses:

O. F. R. Con, HENRY MURPHY. 

